AI for Public Health Initiative
Courses Teaching AI and Digital Public Health
In the Zuckerman College of Public Health, we are determined to equip our graduates with AI competency to prepare them for the digital workforce of tomorrow. AI practices will span across public health services, health departments, and agencies at all levels where data-informed policies matter. Our courses will build understanding of new digital data sources and AI literacy, ensuring that our public health professionals become critical thinkers and engaged partners with computer scientists and engineers.
GHI 240: Digital Public Health
Offered in-person, Spring 2026
The "Digital Public Health" course offers an innovative exploration into how digital technologies are reshaping public health. This general education course welcomes students from all backgrounds to understand the integration of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and the Internet of Things (IoT) within public health's core functions, policy development, resource allocation, and health services. Through a mix of lectures, interactive discussions, and real-world case studies, students delve into the digital transformation of public health, examining its implications for ethics, equity, and access. By the end, participants will be well-prepared to contribute to public health in the digital age, whether their future careers lie in health care, technology development, policy-making, or beyond. This course is a gateway for anyone looking to make a meaningful impact in the evolving landscape of public health.
GHI 463/563: Foundations of Public Health Applications of Artificial Intelligence
Offered in-person, Spring 2026
This course introduces students to the concepts, methods, and ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques applied to public health domains. The curriculum emphasizes data acquisition and preparation, prompt engineering, large language models, data evaluation and analysis, and implementation workflows using Generative AI.
GHI/EPID 526: Digital Epidemiology
Offered in-person, Fall 2025
This course will explore the evolution of epidemiology, from its foundations to the modern era where digital tools, novel data and platforms, and artificial intelligence are integral. We will examine how the Internet, social media, mobile technologies, and other digital data sources are reshaping the way we track, predict, and control disease spread. Students will learn about the role of digital surveillance systems and the impact of real-time data reporting on public health decision-making.
HPS 459/559: Management of Global Public Health Emergencies
Offered online, Fall 2025
This course is designed to comprehensively meet the needs of public health practitioners, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to manage public health emergencies beyond disease-specific contexts. Students will learn best practices in emergency coordination, leadership, communication, and resource mobilization. The curriculum is structured around three core domains: (a) Principles of Communicable Diseases Control and Humanitarian Coordination Architecture; (b) Communication—including risk communication, behavior change, advocacy, and external communication; and (c) Emergency Response Planning. The course will also address the role of Artificial Intelligence in public health preparedness, highlighting current benchmarks, digital platforms, and ecosystems that strengthen global health security.
PHP 465/565: Leadership and Strategy for Population Health using Generative AI
Approved, starting in Fall 2026
Healthcare organizations are facing growing complexity in addressing population health due to evolving patient demands, technological changes, and partner engagement. Complexity theory argues for inter-organizational leadership to develop community models that develop strategies to address evolving patient care journeys. These strategies include exploration and evaluation of innovative services that leverage technology and external partners and adapt viable services to address shared patient-provider goals and support community model resiliency. The course uses research on leadership and strategy to design innovative services to address the care journey of a selected population group using generative AI tools through a semester long project. A short research paper, research article synthesis, and a short case analysis are also used to assess student learning and support different phases of the student project.